Flow is the volume of water passing a point over a certain time, and provides information about the availability of water for people and the environment. Overall, this affects how much water is available for irrigation, drinking water, hydroelectricity generation, and recreational activities. River flows also influence a waterway’s physical form, habitat, and ecological processes like migration, spawning, and food supply for aquatic life.

The file provides the estimated impact of upstream consents on the modelled median flow of a particular reach in the digital river network. This is calculated by upstream total consented takes by median flow.